Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has vehemently denied his team exceeded Formula 1 spending limits last year and claims the claims were designed to reward Max Verstappen’s championship win.
Reports emerged yesterday that the FIA two teams are not complying with the new financial regulations introduced last year and Red Bull could be one of them.
Verstappen beat Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton to the 2021 drivers’ championship in a controversial final last year. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said yesterday that if Red Bull spends too much in 2021, it could give them a chance for growth this year and next.
Horner reiterated that his team had not exceeded last year’s $145 million spending limit and said that was supported by data he submitted to the FIA earlier this year.
“We submitted in March,” he said. “We stand 100% behind our understatement.
“That entry has to be signed by your auditors, obviously ours is one of the big three, and then it goes through a process with the FIA, just like an audit, there are questions and interpretations that come up. .
“This process is ongoing with the FIA and they have obviously not completed their process at this point. I think they made that clear in their statement yesterday evening. So we’re looking forward to seeing the end result of that process in the near future, but we’re absolutely confident that we’ve fully capitalized.
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The team was “a bit surprised by the comments from our two rival teams yesterday,” Horner said, when asked how the teams knew the details they submitted to the FIA.
“The entry between the team and the FIA is confidential,” he said. “I don’t know what the results of our competitors’ submissions are or accounting and so on.”
Horner said there was no truth to his rivals’ allegations. “I would really like to know the source of these false claims,” he said.
“They are very defamatory. We respect. It can be assumed that this was no coincidence when Max made his first strike at the World Championship.
“How on earth do they have this information, where do they have this knowledge? The FIA said they have not even completed their process.
Horner said the team would consider a response to the claims made by its rivals if it is not cancelled.
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“We will take these statements incredibly seriously and look at what options we have, because comments like those made yesterday are absolutely unacceptable.
“This is a complete defamation of the team, the brands and Formula 1 and I am curious to know where their source of information came from.”
Horner said there was no doubt that his team was focused on claims beyond the price limit. “I think they were very clear in naming Red Bull,” he said.
Wolff said in the paddock yesterday that it was an “open secret” that a team had seriously breached the spending limit, but Horner asked how it could be without Red Bull knowing the consequences of their submission.
“The facts have been presented to the FIA and it is a personal input between the team and the FIA,” he said. “So how on earth can any group know our submission details? How can any group know whether a group has breached it or not?”
“We didn’t even know we were in violation. We won’t even know until the process is over next week. So maybe people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones when these allegations are made.
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“We appreciate and take the comments seriously because it was a coincidence that Max won the world record and what we’re talking about here is nothing more than prices rather than an amazing performance this year? Maybe it’s a hidden tactic employed to hide the lack of performance this year.
“Obviously when references are made last year, this year, next year, we take that very seriously. So this is a matter for the FIA to deal with, but for Red Bull to consider what our position is on the comments made.
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